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Chief Ricky Davis

Chief Ricky Davis has served as the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal since July 2006. As State Chief Deputy he also oversees over 50 employees in seven Divisions: Fire Investigations, Fire Code/Enforcement, Factory-Built Home, Mississippi Electronic Protection, Public Fire Safety Education, Fire Services Development and Liquid Compressed Gas (all Divisions are part of the Mississippi Insurance Department).

Ricky joined the Mississippi Department of Insurance State Fire Marshal’s Office in July 1990, as a Deputy Fire Marshal in Fire Investigations and was later promoted to Assistant Chief Deputy Fire Marshal Supervisor of the Southern District of the State. He worked with the first accelerant sniffing canine in the State.

Chief Davis’ prior employment was with the Jefferson Davis County Sheriff’s Office where he served as Chief Investigator and County Fire Investigator/Coordinator. He was instrumental in creating the first rural volunteer fire department in Jefferson Davis County. He also served as Fire Chief of this newly created volunteer fire department and was also the first President of the Fire Chief’s Association of Jefferson Davis County.

Under Chief Davis’ guidance programs were established and implemented in the Fire Safety Education Division, which was created by the Mississippi Legislature. Through this Division Chief Davis has been a champion of the Smoke Alarm Program for the State. The program is designed to provide smoke alarms to be installed in low income homes throughout Mississippi. He was also instrumental in getting the passage of the Fire Standard Compliance Cigarette Law, designed to decrease the amount of fire deaths that occur due to careless smoking, the Novelty Cigarette Lighter Bill and the Mississippi Burn Injury Reporting System. He is very passionate about reducing the number of fire related deaths in the State of Mississippi through educating people on fire safety and prevention.

Chief Davis is member of the Mississippi Fire Chief’s Association, Mississippi Fire Fighter’s Association, National Association of State Fire Marshals, International Association of Arson Investigators (IAAI), County Fire Investigator’s Association of Mississippi, Public Fire Safety Educators Association, and International Association of Fire Chiefs.

Mission

The mission of the State Fire Marshal's
Office is to foster, promote and develop ways and means of
protecting life and property from fire and related perils through
direct action and coordination with Mississippi fire and law
enforcement services.

The
Commissioner of Insurance is by virtue of his office the State Fire
Marshal and shall appoint the
State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal. The Chief Deputy Fire Marshal
along with other members of his staff have the primary duties of
investigating the origin of fires occurring within this State to
which his attention is called by the Chief of the Fire Department or
other local law enforcement authority of any county or municipality.
It is the duty of the Chief Deputy Fire Marshal to investigate or
have investigated any fire requested by any party in interest,
whenever in his judgment, there is sufficient evidence or
circumstances indicating that such fire may be of an intentional or
incendiary origin, Miss. Code Ann. § 45-11-1.

The State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal is charged with the enforcement of Mississippi Fire Prevention Code, Miss. Code Ann. § 45-11-101, regarding the inspection of all buildings owned by the state or state agencies, places of public assembly and sprinkler systems of high-rise buildings. In addition, the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal is charged with regulating Manufactured Housing, Miss. Code Ann. § 75-49-1, which requires licensing of dealers, manufacturers, and independent contracted installer/transporters. Also, the State Chief Deputy Fire Marshal serves as the State Administrative Agency (SAA) for the Department of Housing Urban Development for the State of Mississippi.